[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin A film with no soundtrack]]. Until the late 1920s or so, this was a technological limitation, though filmmakers certainly [[SerendipityWritesThePlot made the most of it]]. Almost from the beginning of the medium, people attempted to combine moving pictures with prerecorded audio, but none of these technologies achieved commercial acceptance and success until WarnerBrothers/First National Pictures introduced its Vitaphone sound-on-disc system in 1926. After the mid-1930s, it was as much an [[SilenceIsGolden artistic decision]] as DeliberatelyMonochrome became after the introduction of color.

Note, however, that many silent movies (especially the big-budget ones) did have custom musical scores, for the entire movie or just a few key scenes, intended to be performed by live musicians in the theatre. Even if the filmmakers didn't prepare custom scores or recommended musical cues, exhibitors usually screened these films with atmospheric live organ, piano, or other musical accompaniment.

Some scores even called for sound effects, also performed live, and a few called for important bits of dialog to be read out by live actors. Unfortunately, most of the scores have been lost.

In Japan, the last above option played a different role with the Benshi, on stage performers who narrated a silent film and read the inter-titles in character. It was so popular that silent films remained an important part of Japanese culture until sound films became too popular and cheap to show on their own.

During the UsefulNotes/RiseOfTheTalkies (1926-1931), studios accommodated theaters that hadn't rushed to invest in talkie technology by offering some of their features in both silent and sound versions (e.g., [[Creator/AlfredHitchcock Hitchcock's]] ''Blackmail'' [1929]). Other late silent films were offered with optional recorded soundtracks (synchronized music and sound effects, but no dialogue).

See also: EarlyFilms, FilmsOfThe1920s

See also MimeAndMusicOnlyCartoon, which are basically animated silent films. And then there are [[NotableMusicVideos music videos]]. Any video that attempts to tell a story (for example, the famous "Take On Me" video by Music/{{aha}}) is basically a short silent film with musical accompaniment.

A bit of trivia: Did you know that the first four AcademyAwards for Best Cinematography all went to silent films? Because of the cumbersome sound-synchronization cameras and recording equipment of the early talkie era, they were rarely shot on location, giving silent film cinematographers a distinct advantage. Those first four winners were

* Notable silents from the talkie era:** ''Film/CityLights'' (1931) -- Creator/CharlieChaplin's first refusal to acknowledge talkies** ''Film/{{Tabu}}'' (1931)--the last film of F.W. Murnau, about a forbidden romance between two Pacific Islanders** ''Film/ModernTimes'' (1936) -- Creator/CharlieChaplin's second refusal to acknowledge talkies** ''The Thief'' (1952) -- spy thriller starring Ray Milland, told without any dialogue** ''Film/SilentMovie'' (1976) -- Creator/MelBrooks makes a tribute to silent slapstick** ''Film/{{Koyaanisqatsi}}'' (1983) -- Kind of a documentary, but really more of a film collage portraying the state of modern civilization, told without any dialogue or narration** ''WesternAnimation/TheTripletsOfBelleville'' (2003) -- animated film with songs but almost no spoken dialogue** ''Film/DaftPunksElectroma'' (2006) -- film about two robots trying to become human; no dialogue, lots of desert trekking** ''Film/{{Tejut}}'' (2007) -- Hungarian film composed of multiple silent [[LeaveTheCameraRunning static Oners]].** ''Film/TheArtist'' (2011) -- A deliberately {{Retraux}} romantic comedy about, appropriately enough, a silent movie star who struggles to adjust to talkies** ''Film/AllIsLost'' (2013) -- Creator/RobertRedford as a sailor alone on his yacht who struggles to survive when the yacht founders. Almost completely dialogue-free.

!!Notable talkies about the silent film era:* ''Film/SunsetBoulevard''* ''Film/SinginInTheRain''* ''Film/{{Hugo}}''